Power-transmitting device



. April 14, 1925.

C. T. MQCORMICK rowan 'mmsux'mne DEVICE Filed May), 1923 2 Sheets-Shat 1 INVENTOR QCL ..T.MC CORMICK ATTORNEY A ril 14, 1925. 1,533,877

' C. T. M CORMICK POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE Filed May 17 1923 -2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR C.T.MC CORMICK 23 BY .g 'W

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rownn rannsmrrrnve DEVICE.

Application filed May 17,

T 0 all 10120722. it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYnUs T. MCCORMICK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of Fredericktown, county of Madison, State of. Missouri, United States of America, haveinvented a certain new and usefulPower Transmitting Device, of which; the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying" drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a power-transmitting device of that class in which the use of gear wheels is avoide'd by interposing between the driving and-driven members one or more cylinders, the speed of the drivenmembers being controlled by regulating the flow of a fluid, such as oil, to and from the cylinder or cylinders.

In the accompanyingdrawings Figure 1 is a vertical section, the casing being omitted; Figure 2 is a side-view on a reduced scale; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section taken at right angles to Figure 3, and Figure 5 is an enlarged sectionalview showing the connecting rods.

The working parts of the device are enclosed in a casing (Figure 2) containing oil or other fluid, the flow of which controls the transmission of power from the driving to the driven member. The drive-shaft 11 is secured: to or formed integral with a cast ing forming one end of the driving memher, the said member comprising the end piece 12, a second end piece 13 and an intermediate piece 14. The parts 12, 13 and 14 are secured together by transverse bolts 15. The driven member consists of a casting 16, adapted to receive. the driven member and held in place by an annular member 17 secured to the casting 16 by bolts 18. Formed between the parts 12, 13 and 14 are two pair of cylinders 20, the pairs of cylinders being positioned diametrically opposite each other and the cylinders of each pair being parallel. Situated in the cylinders 20 are pistons 21 attached by means of connecting rods 22 to a double crank 23 situated in the interior of the driving member, which consists of the parts 12, 13 and 14. One method of connecting-the rods 22 to the crank 23 is shown in detail in Figure '5. Inthis con 1923. sell-m1 No. 639,519.

struction each of the rods 22 terminates in a block 45 fittingaroundless than'one-ha'lf the periphery of the crank. The block 45 has projecting fromit at one side an extension 46 and at the other an annular sector 47. Surrounding each of the sectors 47 is a u shaped member 48 secured to the opposing extension 46 by bolts 49. In this'way each pair of rods 22 is connected together to torm a bearing and at the same time the construction allows the necessary change of angular relation between the rods asthe crank shaft is revolved. The crank 23 forms part of a shaft 24 which turns in bearings 25 and 26 carried in the shaft 11 and in an extension 28 on the part'13. The shaft 11 (which is shown broken away in Figure 3) extends through its casing 10 and has the driving power applied toit in any suitable manner. recess in a hub 29 formed integral with the part 16. The hub 29 is secured to the shaft 24 by a key 30 (Figure 4).

Situated diametrically opposite in* the periphery of the driven member 16 are two sets of transverse valves 31. valves 31 is adapted to cooperate with the two diametrically opposed cylinders between its parts 12 and 14, and the other set with the cylinders'between the parts 13 and 14. Each of the valves 31 is provided with an operating lever '32 terminating in a roll 33 engaging with a cam track 34 in a control disc .35. The track 34 iscii'cular except that at two opposite points it is provided with inwardly extending V shaped portions 36 (Figure 1). The V-shaped portions 36 are of such lengths as to engage with several of the valve arms at the same time and adapted to progressively move the valves from open to closed position when the disc is rotated relatively to the member 16 in one direction, and to progressively open the said valves in reverse order when moved in the other direction. The arciiate parts 34 of the track are-adapted to hold the valves in fully open or fully closedposition, as will be evident by referenceto Figure'l. The disc 35 is provided with a'sleeve 37 i surrounding the hub 29. The-sleeve The extension 28 is situated'in a One set of' is surroundediby a collar 33 carrying a pin 39 projecting through a straight slot 40 in the sleeve 37 into a spiral groove 41 in the hub 29. It will be evident that a longitudinal movement of the collar 38 willmcau se relative movement between the sleeve 37 and hub 29 thus rotating the disc 35 relatively to the member 16 to operate the valves.

The periphery of the member 16 is open between the sets of valves 31 and is preferably provided with vanes 42 inclined so as to tend to draw the oil, or other fluid in the casing 10, inwardly to counteract against the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the movable parts. The collar 38 is moved longitudinally of the sleeves 37 by any suitable mechanism which is not shown as such devices are common in the art. The valves 31 are adapted to communicate with the cylinders through ports 43 which ports are preferably formed by a plurality of fan-shaped openings as shown in Figure 1.

The operation of the device is as follows: The moving parts are contained in the oil tight casing 10 and suflicient oil placed in the casing to submerge the said parts. Power is applied to the shaft 11 and delivered from the shaft 2%. When the valves 31 are all open the driving member will rotate freely without imparting any movement to the drivenmember, but by closing a greater or less number of the valves 31 through rotation of the disc 35, the flow of the oil from the cylinders 20 is retarded so that an impetus or blow is delivered to the driven member each time the cylinders pass the valves. The strength of the impetus will depend upon the position of the pistons in their cylinders at the time the flow of oil is retarded and consequently the relative speed of the driving and driven members can. be regulated by the setting of the valves. WVhen all the valves are. closed the driving and driven members will move sub stantially in unison; some rotative move ment will, however, take place owing to leakage of oil through the valves.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, a cylinder carried by one of said members, a piston connected to the other of said members, a plurality of valves also carried by said latter named member, and means for progressively actuating said valves to retard the flow of fluid from said cylinder, said means being arranged to begin the opening of each succeeding valve before theclosing of the preceding valve is completed.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, a cylinder carried by one of said members, a piston connected to the other of said members, a plurality of-valves also carried by said latter named member, and means for progressively opening and closing said valves in reverse order.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, a plurality of cylinders carried by said driving member, pistons for said cylinders connected to the driven member, a plurality of valves carried by said driven. member and located around the periphery thereof, and means for progressively opening and closing said valves.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, a cylinder carried by one of said members, a piston connected to the other of said members, a plurality of valves also carried by said latter named member,

a valve controlling device provided with a pair of arcuate ways adapted to hold the valves in open or closed position, and an intermediate can portion for moving the valves from one position to another.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, a cylinder carried by one of said members, a piston connected to the otherof said members, a plurality of valves also carried by said latter named member, a valve controlling device provided with a pairof arcuate ways adapted to hold the valves inopen or closed position, and an intermediate cam portion for moving the valves from one position to another, said cam portion being adapted to simultaneously engage with a plurality of valves.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, one of said members being provided with two pair of diametrically situated parallel cylinders, pistons for said cylinders connected to the other of said members, two sets of diametrically situated valves also carried by said latter named member, and means for progressively and symmetrically actuating the valves of said sets.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a driving member, of a driven member, one of said members being composed of a plurality of parts having cylinders formed between them, the other of said members surrounding said first named member and carrying a crank-shaft extending into the interior thereof, pistons in said cylinders connected to saidcrank-shaft, valve-s situated in the periphery of said second named member, and means for progressively actuating said valves.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, one of said members being composed of a plurality of parts having cylinders formed between them, the other of said members surrounding said first named member and carrying a crank-shaft extending into the interior thereofiepistons in said cylinders connected to said crankshaft, transverse oscillating valves situated in the periphery of said second named member, and means for progressively actuating said valves.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a driving member, of a driven member, one of said members being composed of a plurality of parts having cylinders formed between them, the other of said members surrounding said first named member and carrying a crank-shaft extending into th interior thereof, pistons in said cylinders connected to said crank-shaft, transverse oscillating valves situated in the periphery of said second named member, controlling means movable relatively to said. second named member and provided with an annular way for holding the valves in open or closed position, and a cam portion for moving the valves from one position to the other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CYRUS T. MGG()RMICK. [L. s] 

